Here I am, here I am, on cloud eight and a half

So on Saturday it was Record Store Day. For those who do not know what this is (and don't worry I hadn't heard about it until this year) it's a day where record stores put on events and sell limited pressings of things, mostly vinyls.

I love the idea of this day and in theory I would have really enjoyed being at it but there is a slight issue with the fact that all the shops were crowded. it didn't help that it was a Saturday but normally places like Reflex and Beatdown have so few people in it's nice and quiet and enjoyable. Yeah, not on RSD. All the hipsters were out in force wanting to get their mitts on the overpriced (because it's vinyl and limited edition!) goods before anyone else can. Or, apparently, the people who want to extort the hipsters (or even just fans of that artist) further by buying up as much as they could and selling it on eBay. But it was a pretty enjoyable time and I did get a few things (including the two vinyls I had gone in for so that was the most important part).

So T-B, L-R: 

• Regina Spektor Sings Two Bulat Okudzhava Songs In Russian (Limited 7" white vinyl)
• Lanterns On The Lake: Low Tide (Limited 12" vinyl)
• Bridie Jackson and the Arbour: Bitter Lullabies (Not actually a RSD release but a local band who I caught playing in Reflex and were excellent with their folkiness and acousticy, violiny, double bassy, pretty hamoniness. Definitely want to see them again live (they're playing at the Leases Green festival :3)).
• She & Him: Volume One (Limited 12" Yellow vinyl)

I only went in for the first two (and I'm so glad I was able to get them, especially the LotL because they're a wonderful local group who I first heard supporting Explosions in the Sky and The Sage).

So far I can only listen to Bridie Jackson and She & Him because I ripping vinyls is not the easiest thing to do and only She & Him came with a free download code (MOST USEFUL! I think all vinyls should do that now!).

For those who know and understand Bridie Jackson sounds a lot like Beccy Owen, that should tell you what kind of music it is, kind of folky-pop-acoustic-gloriness. Listening to the album now and Promises Are Broken is actually amazing. It's a cappella choral and omgI'mgoingtodieofhowamazingthissounds! I love seeing a small band or something and then buying an album and discovering amazing new music to listen to that I wouldn't have otherwise. It's not like I can just stumble across them on amazon or something. It has a goddamn bassoon in it! I cannot wait to listen to the other wonders I picked up.

I do feel horrifically hipster going out and buying vinyl but I'm trying to work out why I have an aversion to that as a term or even, shock of all horrors, ever being labelled that. I think it's the people who make up the term. I mean I buy vinyls, I wear checky shirts and glasses that I don't need, I buy and use old SLRs and have a satchel. I know I'm stereotyping but isn't that what genreising people is? Just a series of things that they all seem to do? I try not to think about what "type" of person I am. I try not to label myself too much and not because I think I'm so original ( I mean I am but only so far as everyone is) but because I don't want to fall into mental trappings of thinking I can only like this because I am this person or that person. I mean I was talking to Blue about this and we have decided that we need so many different wardrobes of clothes for the different days and people we are on those days. While I think it's important sometimes to have labels just to have a starting point or a descriptor for conversation, I think that getting too bogged down in words is a bad thing.

I'm very much looking forward to summer. I want summer dresses in pretty colour. Sunshine and good music. I want lazy days with people I enjoy the company of. Beach days, barbeques, grab-the-guitar-and-sing-until-the-moon-comes-out, pimms, bare feet, bare legs, Buxton, Hamlet, parties.

I think I need to go and buy so many dresses and skirts, I don't have enough for this summer of awesome that I'm planning in my head!

All of the love and lemons, Buttercup xxxxxxx

You know we can't stay young forever but we can stay young for the rest of our days.

This is going to be a relatively simplistic post. I just feel like sharing is all, and with lots of pictures I hope.

 I bought this today. If I'm honest I'm not sure what the point in it is. I've never had cuticle cream (although cream is completely the wrong word as it's a solid block like vaseline) but I've wanted something from Burt's Bees for ages and this was one of the cheapest items. I must confess I have no idea what I'm meant to do so I smeared some over my nails and finger ends. No real idea if that's right or not but it seemed like the best idea. However regardless of if I'm doing it right it smells fabulous! Like lemon curd. Very nommy.

Another brand that I've been tempted by in the past. You know how you just wonder if it's a better product because it's branded? Or if it just means that you are paying extra money for no reason. Anyway they had a miniature and so I thought I'd also try this. I hate having dry hands, always have. It bothers me so much. Now my hands are even worse because of all the cleaning I do at work. This stuff smells a bit like sun tan lotion and so it makes me think of summer. It also makes my hands nice and soft so it's a win for that. I also picked up a mini cocobutter moisturiser because that stuff is excellent but makes me crave chocolate. I'm hoping that it'll be useful to carry around being a smaller size... I really have too much body lotion etc. already but I love different brands and smells.

 

I'm contemplating these two pairs of shoes. I really like polkaspots at the moment and apparently these converse are navy (I am rather fond of dark blue right now as well, especially dark blue and silver as a combo) but as is the case with cons they are expensive (£45 from Amazon because schuh has run out of my size). I also already own four different pairs of converse but I like variation. I'm also quite liking these Rocket Dog shoes. It's weirding me out though because they're floral. Floral?! On shoes?! It's just a bit weird for me. So I'm debatey. The RDs are £35 from Schuh and are pretty. I also know that RDs are comfy like the cons so either pair will be wearable instantly. They look like summer shoes and I'm rather about summer right now.

I meant to pop to Windows (although it would be unlikely that I would actually end up spending money in there on such an item because they are hugely expensive but actually I was going to go in for other things and reasons and now won't be back in town until... ages now. Rubbish) and then probably head over to Fenwick toy department and pick up a cheap metal harmonica. I've been meaning to learn harmonica since I was about 5 and daddy gave me one of his old ones. 

I have slight issues with learning it now because it seems to be overly popular right now as a fashion thing to have a harmonica (I do have a mini harmonica necklace somewhere too because I'm cool like that although there is a fabulous one in Accessorize which is in dark blue and I kind of want it because it's so pretty but also £12), like the ukulele was... which I sadly also owned one from an early age (inadvertently a prehipster). 

There's just something awesome about harmonica and I love the way daddy plays his so I keep meaning to buy one but do I buy a chromatic or a keyed one and if I choose to go with a keyed then which key do I choose? Argh! And they're sadly not very cheap anymore. Although comparatively to a classical instrument they're obviously in a different league :P

I now think I'm going to attempt to tidy my room because Anna-chan is coming over tomorrow and it's still a mess and then I'm going to paint my nails blue and silver because awesome colours.

Or I'll just sit on the Internet and "window shop" on harmonicas, purses (I want a new one and seriously can't find one I like. Spent a couple of hours just trying to find one... sadface), pokemon cards (I just got paid so celebrations!) and other wonderful things.

I really like shopping :D also life is currently very awesome :3

Love and lemons xxxxxxxxxxxx